UP govt showers sops on MLAs; hikes pension, allowances

A slew of sops, including an increase in pensions and allowances for legislators, were today announced by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav in the Assembly on the last day of the Budget Session.
Not only the sitting MLAs but former MLAs too will benefit from the today's sops.
The monthly pension of former MLAs was hiked by Rs 1,000 to Rs 8,000 while the annual railway travel coupon amount for them was increased to Rs 60,000 from the existing Rs 50,000.
The CM told the House that the provision granting pension to the spouses of MLAs who had died after March 15, 2010, was now being extended to the families of all the late MLAs.

And, as for the sitting MLAs, the chief minister said that their daily allowance when the House was in session was being raised from Rs 500 to Rs 750 while the payment was going to be Rs 400 for the days when they toured their constituencies up from Rs 250.
Monthly fuel allowance was hiked to Rs 10,000 from Rs 8,000 and the annual railway travel coupon amount was raised to Rs 2.50 lakh from Rs 2 lakh.

Also, taking into account the demand of MLAs from all parties, Yadav allotted 100 hand pumps each in their constituencies.
The chief minister also did not disappoint the Assembly security staff whose monthly nutrition allowance was hiked to Rs 750 from Rs 600 and they can now look forward to collecting 15 per cent of their basic salary as incentive, which would not exceed Rs 3,000 monthly.

The House, which also passed the appropriation bill, was then adjourned sine die.